1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of toys and more specifically it relates to an action toy which may have the form of a human figure in which movement of a first member about a first joint is coordinated with movement of a second member about a second joint. This coordinated movement permits the toy to simulate more realistically the movements that a person makes when launching various projectiles, such as in shooting a basketball or kicking a football.
2. The Prior Art
Many action toys known in the prior art have stiff limbs that are rotatably mounted to the torso. There are no joints at the elbows, wrists, knees, or ankles. Accordingly, when the limbs are moved, the motion appears to be unrealistic and clumsy. In contrast, in the present invention these members not only move, but are capable of coordinated movements to simulate the actions of athletes.
The animated toy described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,661 issued Sep. 23, 1975 to Weiser is typical of the older prior art. That patent shows a doll having a one-piece arm rotatably connected to a shoulder for rotation in a forward direction. The toy doll also has a stiff leg connected at the hip of the figure for rotation in a forward direction.
A more sophisticated action figure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,657 issued Jun. 28, 1977 to Crosman et al. Here, the arm of the figure pivots at the shoulder and at the elbow, and the movement of the forearm with respect to the upper arm is determined by a connecting rod which causes the forearm to extend as the upper arm is raised. The use of a connecting rod requires that the axis about which the forearm moves must be parallel to the axis about which the upper arm moves. This limitation is overcome in the present invention, in which the axes of rotation may be skewed. An arm action similar to that of Crosman et al. is said to be produced by the mechanism described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,987 issued Sep. 10, 1991 to Djordjevic.
So far as can be determined, no prior art shows a wrist motion for action toys representing human athletic motions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,419 of Barnes et al. is typical in its showing of a table top golfing figure in which the upper body is driven by a spring to rotate with respect to the lower body; but the wrists remain rigid.
The motion of the hand about the wrist (or the motion of the lower leg about the knee) is paramount in shooting, throwing or swinging (or kicking). This wrist motion is not constant throughout the athlete's motion while shooting, throwing or swinging. The speed of the wrist rotation is maximum at or near the point of release or the point of impact and is zero minimal in the initial portion of a throw or swing. Such motion has eluded the prior art, but the present invention provides a solution.
The present invention provides a mechanism for simulating with greater reality the coordinated movements used by athletes engaged in various activities.